Costume Maker

The costume maker would work closely with the costume designers, supervisors and the assistants to make, fit or alter any of the required costumes that they are unable to buy or hire.

• The costume maker should have a creative talent and understand colour, design and composition.  
• Some good skills that they would require is the ability to age and distress garments where needed to any degree. 
• A good understanding of period costumes and the history behind them will help greatly as well as an understanding about the properties of different fabrics.  
• For this job a person would expect to work long and/ or irregular hours and so they would need to have the durability to cope with this 

Most of the work for the costume maker happens during pre-production when they are given specifications and designs from the costume designer.  When they begin making the costumes they need to agree and cost and time scale in which to complete them with the designer.  A maker could be required to take an actors measurements although they are usually given them.  Research into correct cutting styles and designs may be necessary and you will find that they are usually supplied with the fabric needed.  Once a design is complete it is the costume makers job to ensure that it is packed correctly and safely ready for transport.  When the costumes are worn for the first time by the actors the costume designer may be asked to be there to explain how the costume is worn and to make any needed alterations.  

Getty Images - Costume maker Phoebe Allies works on a jacket for Mozart's Don Giovanni, one of six operas appearing in the 2014 Glyndebourne Festival
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2631768/Behind-scenes-look-Glyndebourne-Festival-celebrates-80th-anniversary.html

soucrce: www.creativeskillset.org